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Surveys & Polls

Jun 30, 2011

The HR Daily Advisor® recently announced the results of its latest compensation survey, conducted in May 2011. The survey, which garnered 338 responses, looked at what employers are doing to reduce healthcare costs, as well as the general costs associated with providing benefits to each employee.

According to the results, 84% of responding companies reported taking at least one action to reduce healthcare costs in the previous year, while two-thirds plan further cost control in the coming year. In comparison to last year’s survey results, employers reported paying significantly more in annual costs per employee. This year, 56% reported annual costs per employee in the $5,000 to $10,000 range, compared with 47% in last year's survey. Eighteen percent reported costs of over $10,000 per year, compared with 12% reporting the same in last year's survey.

“The results of this survey offer a significant advantage to HR professionals assessing benefit plans for the coming year,” said HR Daily Advisor editor Stephen Bruce, PHR. “As healthcare costs continue to go up, it is more important than ever for HR managers to have a good idea of what’s going on in the field.”

Jun 03, 2011

The HR Daily Advisor® announced today the results of the latest compensation survey conducted in April 2011. The survey, which garnered 560 responses, took a look at what’s “happening in the trenches” with Pay for Performance: how companies are implementing their performance compensation programs, what types of compensation are in use, and more.

According to the results, most respondents provide some type of individual performance pay to all employees. This was true at all role levels: executive, middle management, professional, exempt staff and nonexempt employee.

About half the companies said their employees believe they have sufficient impact on the performance factors that influence their performance pay. Also, about half believe that their employees are pleased with their performance compensation program.

“The results of this survey demonstrate that performance pay remains an important compensation strategy for 2011,” said HR Daily Advisor editor Stephen Bruce, PHR. “Since this survey looked at perceptions about individualperformance compensation, as well as group or team performance compensation for multiple job levels, readers get an excellent benchmark of what’s going on in the field.”

The complete results of this survey can be accessed here, courtesy of the HR Daily Advisor.

Apr 22, 2011

The HR Daily Advisor® announced today the results of a survey on Cash Compensation conducted in March 2011. The survey asked employers to report on the use of cash incentives at their companies, either in the form of individual or team awards, spot bonuses, or similar payments.

According to the results, nearly one-third of employers report that their organizations supplement wages and salaries with cash incentives. Long-term incentive bonuses were most frequently reported to be paid to employees at the executive level (28 percent of respondents) and all exempt-level sales employees (26 percent of respondents).

“The results of this survey highlight important compensation trends, which will be useful for HR managers assessing the use of cash incentives,” said HR Daily Advisor editor Stephen Bruce, PHR. “Since this survey looked at five levels of employee responsibility in 10 departments, the breadth and depth of responses sets an important benchmark in current compensation practices.”

The complete survey results can be accessed here, courtesy of the HR Daily Advisor:

Mar 22, 2011

The latest HR Daily Advisor® survey results are here! The most recent survey on Benefits Communication was conducted earlier this month and garnered nearly 1,000 responses. The survey asked HR professionals to describe the benefit summaries provided to their employees, as well as the methods used to determine employee benefit satisfaction, if any.

According to the results of the survey, only 32% of employers survey their employees to determine benefit satisfaction, and a mere 26% survey their employees about benefits preferences. Although 62% of employers provide employees with benefit summaries, only 56% of those summaries breakdown the cost to the company.

“Benefits communication is especially critical these days,” said HR Daily Advisor editor Stephen Bruce, PHR. “With little going on in the raise department, employers need to be sure that employees truly appreciate the cost of the benefits they're getting. This survey highlights some important trends for HR professionals to consider as they continue to reassess their benefits policies.”

The complete survey results can be accessed here, courtesy of the HR Daily Advisor:

Dec 15, 2010

The HR Daily Advisor® recently announced the results of their Benefits for Part-Time Employees survey, which highlights some interesting trends for 2010. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’re in for some surprising figures.

According to the results, the number of organizations offering benefits to part-time employees has dramatically increased from 2007. Approximately 85% of respondents reported that pro-rated holiday and vacation time are available to part-time staff within their organizations, which is up from just 35% three years prior.

Similar increases occurred in the provision of paid sick leave, health insurance and life insurance to part-time employees. How do your part-time benefits stack up?

Jan 26, 2010

We've known it all along, but now it's official: BLR® – Business & Legal Resources has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Connecticut for 2010.

The announcement was made by the Hartford Business Journal and Best Companies Group, which started Best Places to Work awards program in 2006. BLR made that initial list, and it was selected as one of the best places to work in Connecticut again in 2007.

This statewide survey of employees and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Connecticut, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce, and businesses. The Best Places to Work in Connecticut 2010 list is made up of 25 companies.

“BLR is honored to be named one of The Best Places to Work in Connecticut” said Robert L Brady, CEO and founder of BLR. “Our managers and supervisors are the ones who deserve the credit for this award. They care about our products and customers, but they also care about the people who work for BLR. It's great to see them recognized."

To be considered for selection, companies had to meet the following eligibility requirements:

Have at least 15 employees working in Connecticut;

Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business or government entity;

Be a publicly or privately held business;

Have a facility in the state of Connecticut; and

Be in business a minimum of 1 year.

Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the Best Places to Work in Connecticut. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, and demographics. That part of the process was worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75 percent of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Connecticut and also analyzed the data and used their expertise to determine the final rankings.

BLR will be recognized and honored at the Best Places to Work in Connecticut awards ceremony coordinated by the Hartford Business Journal on Thursday, March 25. The final rankings will be announced at the event.

For more information on the Best Places to Work in Connecticut program, visit BestPlacesToWorkinCT.com. For more information regarding BLR, including job openings, please visit www.BLR.com.

The HR Daily Advisor recently noted that instead of designating employee paid time off as vacation days, sick leave, and such, many employers have started to lump it together and simply call it paid time off, or PTO for short. But there are pros and cons.

The advantages of undesignated paid time off for employers include reduced tracking of employee PTO and, often, reduced employee sick-leave abuse. Many employers use PTO as a strategic recruiting tool, and they also find it to be useful for employee retention.

Increasing the number of days that employees can take off from work and still get paid seems to make workers happy. And, because most employees are healthy and don't ever use all of their sick leave, why not let them take the difference as extra vacation time?

Unfortunately, as we all know, the bad sometimes comes along with the good, and PTO programs can invite abuse.

Abuse #1 — Employees are out of the office more frequently.

Because an organization no longer knows why an employee is taking time off, their employees, in some cases, are gone more frequently. While this can be controlled somewhat by requiring prior approval for PTO, those employees who never used sick leave will start to use at least some--if not all--of that time in their PTO allocation every year.

Abuse #2 — Sick employees are not using sick leave.

One of the most costly abuses of PTO is sick employees not taking time off. That's because when employees begin to view all PTO as vacation time, they don't want to use up their vacation time when they're sick, so they come to work and spread germs. And that results in productivity declines as more and more of the workforce gets sick.

So How Can PTO Be Effective?

Be sure that your company culture suits the flexibility of a PTO program. If your company culture isn’t very flexible, the flexibility of a PTO program may invite abuse. Establishing clear guidelines in advance will help eliminate abuse at some level.

Most important, focus more on managing your employees than on managing the PTO program. If employees are sick, make sure they aren’t in the office. You have an obligation to provide a safe workplace to all your employees. If someone is sick and contagious, send him or her home immediately!

For years, BLR has conducted surveys on PTO and other employee benefits to find out what HR and benefits professionals saw in the preceding year and what they were expecting in the coming year. This year, we are expanding that program by conducting a series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. The findings of these surveys will be analyzed and presented free to all respondents.

Current Survey: Paid Time Off

Does your company have a PTO program? If not, are you thinking of switching to a PTO program?

Are you confident that your company's program is effective for recruiting talent?

Is your current program helping with retention?

Are you providing an adequate number of days?

Take this brief survey and see how your existing practices and future plans stack up against the country’s most successful companies. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete, and it will help you stay on top of your industry and keep your organization competitive.

By sharing your insight, opinions, and experience, you'll help us highlight trends and define benchmarks—by industry, geographic location, and size of employer—that will inform your decision making for the coming year. At the same time, you’ll gain a highly valuable strategic planning tool that will help ensure that your company is offering competitive benefits.

Rest assured that all responses are confidential and only aggregate findings will be published.

Dec 30, 2009

Health care is all the buzz these days as the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives try to hammer out the details of the final legislation. Meanwhile, companies are getting walloped by higher than expected healthcare costs just when they can least afford it. And HR professionals are right on the front lines.

Employers are understandably concerned with the hikes in healthcare costs as employees are making more trips to the doctor and dentist, and undergoing more exams, tests, and treatment, all common occurrences during a recession.

Still, healthcare benefits are critical to retaining your best employees and recruiting new ones. Are you offering competitive healthcare benefits to your employees?

Free Healthcare Benefits Survey Results

Take our brief survey to see how your existing and future plans stack up against the country's most successful companies. By sharing your insights, opinions, and experience, you'll help us highlight trends and define benchmarks—by industry, geographic location, and size of employer—that will inform your decision making for the coming year.

At the same time, you'll gain a highly valuable strategic planning tool that will help ensure that your company is offering competitive benefits. Please be assured that all responses are confidential and only aggregate findings will be published.

Nov 18, 2009

Last December, a survey conducted by WorldatWork and the American Benefits Council found that the financial crisis had not significantly discouraged employer 401(k) contributions or participation.

A full 74 percent of employers reported they were planning no change in their matching contribution; 15 percent had either increased or were considering increasing the employer match; 8 percent had either decreased or were considering decreasing the 401(k) match; and 3 percent reported eliminating the match.

But, as they say, that was then and this is now. Another year of economic turmoil and uncertainty has spurred many organizations to rethink their employee benefits packages. A number of companies have reduced or eliminated their 401(k) matching contributions. Perhaps your organization did—or is considering doing—the same.

But is that the right course? Will your organization be putting itself at a competitive disadvantage?

It's time to get away from the hearsay and anecdotes, and look at some reliable data. BLR® is offering you a way to do just that—at no cost, and with with very little effort.

For years, BLR has conducted employee benefits surveys to find out what HR and benefits professionals had seen in the preceding year and what they were expecting in the coming year. This year, we are expanding that program by conducting a series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. The findings of these surveys will be analyzed and presented free to all respondents. And we’re starting with 401(k) benefits.

Today's topic: 401(k)

Employers continue to be concerned about employees’ financial preparations for retirement, the company's role in supporting those plans, and the proper place of 401(k)s as an important tool in overall benefits program design. How confident are you with your answers to the following:

Are you confident that your company's plan is effective for recruiting talent?

Is your current plan helping with retention?

Are you providing adequate retirement resources?

Take our brief survey and see how your current course and plans for the future stack up against those of the country’s most successful companies.

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete, and it will help you stay on top of the trends in your industry and keep your company competitive.

By sharing your insight, opinions, and experience, you’ll help us highlight trends and define benchmarks—by industry, geographic location, and size of employer—that will inform your decision making for the coming year.

At the same time, you'll gain a highly valuable strategic planning tool that will help ensure that your company is offering competitive benefits.

Don't worry—all responses are confidential and only aggregate findings will be published.

Sep 15, 2009

If you've ever visited an online forum or discussion group, you know what an invaluable resource they can be. Even if you have the stickiest HR or safety question, the chances are good that some of your colleagues have faced the same issue -- and found a solution. While every response to your posts may not be perfect or complete, the collective wisdom of the group will almost always point you in the right direction. And you're likely to come across some ideas and approaches that never would have occurred to you.

At BLR, we have HR and EHS Forums that address dozens of important topics. The Forums are free and open to everyone, subscriber or not. And our team of experts regularly participates in the discussions to help ensure that you get quality, accurate information.

On the HR side, you'll find more than 3,000 of your colleagues participating in Forums on benefits and leave, compensation, performance and termination, staffing and training, and many other core issues. In our EHS Forums, more than 4,500 professionals share their expertise on such topics as OSHA and EPA compliance, safety and environmental best practices, emerging issues, and much more.

So, how can these Forums help you? Here's just one example. An HR Forums member recently asked whether anyone had an FMLA tracking template or spreadsheet that they would be willing to share. Soon thereafter a colleague stepped up and said she would email the one from her organization. That opened the floodgates -- dozens of other grateful HR people asked for -- and received -- the spreadsheet.

If you haven't stopped by yet, we invite you to visit our HR and EHS Forums and join the conversation. You'll find them here: